I stood there in shock, just like the rest of the Family. I glanced back at Lord Cheshire, and his gaze was fixed on Purrlyn. Adrian, with a furrowed brow, stared at her too. Both of them appeared to be waiting for something.

I took a step down the platform, but suddenly, Purrlyn shot me a sharp look, silently urging me to step back. I locked eyes with her, momentarily debating whether to ignore the warning, but eventually, I did take a step back.

The two Fey who had greeted us at the door began making their way up the pathway towards Purrlyn's position. The head Rabbit, who had been next to father, also descended from the Dias, a large Axe now in his hand. I hadn't even noticed when he had drawn it, but suddenly, the seemingly harmless rabbits appeared more like rabid dogs to me.

Even as everyone closed in on Purrlyn, she remained motionless. "That's it," I thought, feeling anger welling up inside me, my skin beginning to burn. I heard Adrian call my name, and I started to imagine roaring fires swelling into a pure white-hot flame. I began to glow, but suddenly, Lady Lysandra stood before me.

Her movements had been so swift that I hadn't even seen her shift. I felt a hand on my shoulder, fingers digging into my collarbone. When I glanced back, Adrian was staring at Lady Lysandra as well.

"If you're going to do it, then do it now. Stop playing games," Adrian commanded Lady Lysandra. She regarded him with a cool expression, then nodded. She turned around and, with a flick of her wrist, a rush of cool air swept through the room. The guards and the Rabid Rabbit Lord, as I now called him, halted in their tracks and stared at her icily. Lady Lysandra walked in front of them and positioned herself between Purrlyn and Titania.

"Mother, Lady Lysandra and I would like to request mercy for Lady Cheshire. While she has been defiant and ignorant by choice, you and I both know there is hardly enough reason to justify treason," Lady Solara stated firmly.

Titania stared at her daughter, and the room seemed to barely begin to heat up. "My Lady Sunbloom, Lady Cheshire has known affiliations with the Mankin and has betrayed us before. She is a disgrace and was absent the night before. She has firsthand knowledge of the staff's power and is clearly in open rebellion against the idea of an alliance of the courts," stated the Rabbit Lord.

I heard the Rabbit in the chair next to me snicker, his vampire-like cloak slipping too far back. My anger surged, and Adrian's grip on my shoulder tightened. "Alex, it will be alright," he reassured me.

"While Lady Cheshire does not dispel rumors of past affiliations, they are nothing more than rumors. Or do you claim to have firsthand knowledge of this, Lord Rabbiton?" Solara questioned the Rabbit Lord. Ah, I had a name for him now, though I still preferred my own, as it suited his beady little red eyes better.

Lord Rabbiton stood unwaveringly. "No, I do not. Rumors, however, are usually rooted in truth. What about her absence yesterday and the day before? She herself refuses to account for herself, and she admits to hostility towards the Spring and Summer Courts!"

Murmurs from the crowd could be heard, agreeing with Lord Rabbiton, the rapid bastard. This emboldened him further, and he pleaded directly with Queen Titania. "My Queen, you have asked her yourself, and even now she remains defiant. I will prove her guilt here and now." The rabid rabbit turned to face Purrlyn, who stared defiantly back at him.

If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

"Lady Cheshire, do you have any knowledge of the staff?" He spat the first words out as a curse.

"Yes," she responded, her eyes watching him unblinking. I saw the other two guards begin to close in, but Lysandra held up a hand to stop them.

"You admit to being an enemy of this court?" He asked.

Purrlyn gritted her teeth. "At a time, I..." She was cut off.

"Yes or no, I ask you," Rabbiton interrupted. Purrlyn stared at him, her tail twitching in agitation. He was trying to pin this all on her, a tactic all too familiar in my world.

"Is your silence an admission of guilt then?" asked Rabbiton. Purrlyn's claws came out. She shook her head. "Thrice I ask, is that a yes or no?" Upon his third repetition, we all felt a weird sensation, and something surprising happened.

Purrlyn blurted out her answer immediately, all defiance disappearing for a mere moment. "Yes."

With that, the rabbits began to go wild, no doubt smelling blood. Lysandra stared at the rabbit, and he stared back, then gave a very small bow. "Lady, by her own admission, she is an enemy of my court. She has accepted our guest right and broken it. That penalty is death alone, but to give up the staff to the Mankin? How much more blood must be on your hands before..."

I felt Adrian's grip loosen just a bit, and I twisted out the moment he tried to pull me back. We both took a step forward, and I let my magic flare up. My anger was getting the better of me. I could feel my ears throbbing from the pain of a new piercing, but suddenly, the earrings began to glow with a pale yellow and blue light.

I could feel my power, which was raging like a wildfire, begin to take on a rhythmic beat. It only took me a second to grasp ahold of it, and I felt an old feeling flare into life.

It was the same feeling I had when I spoke with Lord Cheshire that first day. It was a wild, dangerous side of me. Purrlyn had called it my Fey nature, and I let it loose. Suddenly, I felt my pupils dilate, and everything slowed down just a fraction.

My mind seemed to take the weave of magic and split it into three. Instinctively, I began to weave them into different sigils and characters. This caused my body to glow silver, blue, and red. It constantly cycled between those colors, but I stood still, waiting for an opening to throw the first spell.

Adrian's voice boomed, "Your Majesty, I interject. It is not a crime to have a natural feeling of animosity toward another court. Are we not Fey? This is all just part of the game. Indeed, I have a proposal that I believe will satisfy your Highness if you will hear me out, my Queen." As Adrian spoke, he bowed.

I barely looked at him, watching the Rabbit Lord. I felt like a coiled spring, ready to pounce.

Titania, seeming more bothered by Solara's outburst than this little spat, leaned back in her chair. "Speak, Adrian. What proposal do you bring to me?"

"Thank you, your Highness. The problem is rather simple; we must retrieve the Staff of Thalorien Emberheart and send a delegation to the Mankin to avoid war. I believe this can be done with one stroke. Send me, your Highness. I am not beholden to any court, being a candidate. I am the perfect neutral party for all courts, and this decision will reflect on you during the heralding." Adrian stated confidently; it sounded rehearsed.

I glanced at him for a split second, then looked back at Lord Rabbiton. That was a mistake because in that glance, he was within distance to swing his axe at me. He stared at me, twirling his axe. I made the weaves of magic tighter and started to spin more.

Queen Titania stared at Adrian for a moment, her eyes for the first time seeming to focus. She looked at him up and down, then to Lady Lysandra.

"You speak for Winter here. What say you?" She asked. Lysandra took a moment, then nodded. I saw a sense of relief from Lady Solara, Lord Cheshire, and Lord Rabbiton all at once. Had I missed something?

"Thank you, your Majesty. You are most gracious." Adrian stared at Purrlyn. "If I may, I do have a request." Queen Titania waved him on. "I wish to take someone with me. Someone who knows people better than anyone I know and someone I can trust."

Adrian then turned his head to Father. "I want Alex Cheshire."